Three Eyes
by GoldenChocobo19
Summary: This is my first FF9 fic. It's set in the sequence before the team tries to enter Memoria. It's purely my imagination. Have you ever wondered about the past of three characters? These characters are often overlooked and overshadowed.FINISHED!
1. Default Chapter

"Everyone alright?" Zidane asked as he walked towards the area where everyone, except Dagger, was gathered.. They were in the Invincible, the most powerful aircraft in the world. Dagger was the aircraft's navigator.

The rest looked at him worriedly. They were not sure that they would survive the operation. Zidane shrugged his shoulders in an attempt to be casual, but they could see from his tousled hair and red eyes that he was more worried than all of them put together.

Zidane cleared his throat. "Everyone, I'm really confident that we'll enter the evil-looking globe successfully. But in case we don't, I just want you to reflect on what happened in your life...what achievements you made, what negative points there were in your character and so on. If you had any conflicts with anyone else, resolve them, for we all need to cooperate. And above all, have hope. Think of all we've gone through. Remember, if Dagger fails, we all die. So, believe me, if we confirm our thoughts and put our mind at ease, we'll be able to die peacefully, if the mission's not successful."

He paused and gazed at his friends. His eyes became moist. "I'm scared, too," he whispered hoarsely. "I'm scared. I know you all are. But please, have hope and courage. You can never achieve anything without trying." And with that, he left.

"You mean there's a high chance we might die? But I'm still young! I'm only six! I've got a life to live!" Eiko wailed.

Three of the six people turned around and gazed at the red eye. All their thoughts and memories, long-forgotten, came rushing back to them...memories they'd rather not divulge.

_To be continued..._


	2. Freya

Born in the mighty Burmecian kingdom to a noble family, I always had what I wanted. I had succulent food, several personal maids, the best tutors, and all the clothes and toys I wanted. My parents pampered me and showered me with love. I can only recall their faces vaguely. My father was a big, jolly man with an enormous moustache, and my mother, an elegant and quiet countess.

I grew up to be one of the loveliest girls in Burmecia, but also the most spoiled. I was arrogant. I knew nothing about the world outside. The home was my shell. But that was all to change.

It was around midnight. I was fast asleep in my feather bed. The sky was jet black, dotted with tiny pinpricks of stars. It seemed just like another night. Little did I know that it would turn my life around. Let me tell you that outside Burmecia, there lived a rather violent rebel group, who was not happy with His Majesty at all. Not even one bit. And it did not help much that my father always supported the King.

"Miss! Miss! Wake up!" Someone shook me roughly. Incensed at the person for disturbing my sleep, I got up, my eyes blazing.

"Miss, there's no time to argue! Some rebels have attacked your parents' house! They're armed with spears and axes! You'd better escape by using the escape behind the fireplace!" the servant said in an urgent tone.

I immediately dashed to the fireplace and pulled the lever, with all my might. The fireplace slowly rumbled to the right, leaving a big, gaping hole. I was ignorant at the time, so I searched for my journal. It was a book in which I wrote down my innermost feelings and thoughts. I did not want even my parents to see it, let alone a group of rebels.

A pair of hands grabbed me and shoved me into the hole. I opened my mouth to protest, but the servant said, "Hurry! Your life is more valuable than your belongings! Get out quickly!"

I nodded and the servant pulled the lever, closing the hole. I ran for my life, my footsteps echoing against the walls. I looked back and saw the servant locked in a fierce battle with a rebel. The hole closed completely, but not before I heard the servant's piercing scream.

I sprinted towards the exit and quietly sneaked over to one of the alleyways. I crouched down and watched as my beloved house was razed to the ground by those rebels. I knew, deep down, that I had become a parentless pauper overnight.

I was 14 at that time.

I wandered around for a year, keeping a low profile. I disguised myself by cutting my hair. When I turned 15, I decided to enlist in the Burmecian Army. I was determined to kill those rebels who took my life and parents away from me. The king had grown wiser by then, so he stepped up security.

One day, I was busy training with my weapon-a spear. The sight of it slicing the air thrilled me. Aderaline flowed in my veins. Suddenly, I felt a sharp, searing pain in my left arm. I looked down to find a gaping gash. I dropped to the ground, overwhelmed by the excruciating pain. I was so occupied with the wound that I did not see a boy approaching.

"It hurts alot, right?"

I whipped around to find a boy staring down at me. He had fine features and a toned, muscular body. I cast my eyes on the ground shyly and blushed a little.

"Fratley," he offered, holding out a hand.

"Freya," I mumbled, taking it.

He smiled at me. "Well, Freya, you seem like a very nice girl. I'm sure we'll be very good friends. How would you like to train with me?"

I accepted. From that day, we started intensive training. We worked hard, played hard, and discovered each other's strengths and weaknesses. Under Fratley, I discovered my potential in spears. I trained hard and improved my skills, until I became the strongest cadet in my division.

Years passed. I worked my way up, and was eventually knighted. Fratley was overjoyed when he heard the news. He had been knighted a few years before me. I then realized that I had to tell him how I really felt about him. I knew I had to.

He heard me out before replying hoarsely: "I knew it, Freya, I knre it all along. I had feelings for you ever since you were 19. I love you." We hugged.

A few years later, he told me that he wanted to explore the world and see what it was like. I let him go, but bound him to a promise: _Come back. _

He never came back. I searched the skies, the horizons, the seas, but I never found him. I spied him only once, at Cleyra. He had no memory of me. He had no memory of the times we had spent together. He was lost in exploring the world. He left Cleyra just as quickly as he came.

I did not know how I felt when he did that. I could not comprehend my emotions at that time. I did my reflections on a starry night in Alexandria. No one saw me crying.

If he's been killed since, he'll be in Heaven waiting for me. If not, then he's wandering out there, thinking only of himself. But no matter what, I'll still love him. I know I'm just a memory, stored away in his subconscious mind. Maybe, if I die, I can convince him in Heaven.

"Freya, are you okay?"

I turned around to find Steiner looking at me worriedly. I then realized that tears had been coursing down my cheeks all this while, without my noticing them.

I took a deep breath. "Yes, Steiner, I'm alright, " I replied.


	3. Quina

Author's Note: I'm so sorry that this was a little late, because I had writer's block, and I've got finals!!! I've gotta study and do well! I write fics only after I study, aren't I a sweetie? P Anyway, enjoy this chapter!

I regret to say that I did not have the privilege of having a great childhood. In fact, it was a living hell for me.

I do not know my parents. Neither do I know how I came to be in that house to work as a servant. A particularly nasty human family resided in that house. This family took advantage of the fact that I was a Qu. They called me names like "ugly pig" and "stupid". They kicked me around and bullied me.

I remember being afraid of the lady of the house, and her ever-famous saucepan. Each time my job was not satisfactory, and that was very often, she would advance on me, holding that accursed saucepan of hers. After raining a few blows on my head, she, with that maniacal glint in her emerald eye, would send me to the dark, musty attic, where rats and cockroaches reigned. At times, during my pre-teen years when I needed nourishment, I killed a mouse or two for food. I had no choice. I needed to survive. This would seem like hell to someone, right? That is what hell is all about. Suffering.

I hated every inch of each family member. Whenever I saw them, I felt like lunging at them and forcing their guts out of them. My heart was filled with hatred. What I hated about them most, however, was that they would always think up new ways to torment my poor little body.

I took great pride in my tongue. It was long, thick and crimson, despite being the subject of the children's amusement. Each night, in my attic, I would stroke my tongue lovingly, without bothering about the saliva that got onto my hands. I know that was stupid, but who could blame me? My tongue was the only healthy part of my body. I can remember one disturbing incident which involved my tongue, however.

_"Hey! Why didn't you scrub the sink well enough?!" the lady of the house shrieked as she loomed before me._

_I cowered in fear. Being seven at that time, I was terified of even her silhouette._

_She grabbed my hand and dragged me to the sink.There was a big, murky-brown splatter of gravy on the sink. I remembered wiping tirelessly away with my worned-out, tattered rag. I suspected that the children purposely dabbed a bit of gravy just to frame me._

_She banged my head against the edge of the sink. "You bd! I asked you to clean it until it was spotless! You obviously did not listen to my instructions!" _

_She grabbed my head and forced it into the sink. "Use that tongue of yours to lick the sink! At least that will give it some purpose!"_

After being forced to do the heinous task, I was sent to my attic, where I remained without proper food and water for three days.

Demonic as she was, she was not the only torturer in my life. Her children were devil incarnations. The girl kept on pulling my tongue and slapping my face. She also called me derogatory terms such as "stupid", putting me down. The boy was even worse, calling me offensive terms such as "homosexual". When the father came home drunk or in a fit of anger, he would vent it on me. The outcome was often a few open wounds on my arms and stomach.

I never thought of salvation. I thought that I was doomed to suffer as a servant in that house of hell all my life. How wrong I was.

It was a starry night. The cold wind whipped around and chilled my bones. I thought enviously of the family bundled up in fluffy blankets, with a mug of hot chocolate or biscuits beside them. I eventually fell asleep, not at all looking forward to the fresh horrors the mistress had in store for me.

Dawn's pink fingers streaked across the sky when I woke up the next morning. I looked around in alarm, realising that I was late for my duty. My normal day would start at four, and it was nearing eight in the morning. I immediately dashed down the stairs at breakneck speed, worrying about the punishment I would get for being late. I reached the kitchen, expecting to see the mistress waiting there with the infamous saucepan in her hand. Not a soul was in the kitchen, besides me. I was surprised, as the mistress had never slept past 7.45 am. I waited for a while, not daring to go up. After waiting till 8.15, curiosity got the better of me and I went up. I entered the room softly. What I saw would remain etched in my mind, for it was one of the most disturbing scenes ever.

Both the master and mistress were sprawled on the bed. Their stomaches had been sliced open to reveal bloody entrails. Their hair was matted with blood, and when I got closer, I saw a few scratch marks on their neck. The room had been ransacked; the drawers were wide open, and items had been stuffed haphazardly into the drawers. My face turned stark white as I checked the children's room. It was the same, except that I found no scratch marks anywhere. The children had been killed in their sleep, unlike the parents, who died fighting.

It was obvious that a burglar had entered the household, ransacked the area, and killed the parents and children just in case. I dropped to my knees and thanked God for escaping cold murder. My attic was unnoticed, as it was tucked away in a corner of the house, so the burglar missed it out.

I looked around frantically and thought,_I cannot be here. This is not the place for me anymore. I must go._ I practically flew out of the doors and out of the house. I started running with speed comparable to that of a cheetah's. I felt neither remorse nor sadness. Those people had ruined part of my life. One phrase kept on echoing in my mind.

_They deserved it._

As a 17-year-old who had just escaped from torturers, I did not know where to go. I travelled aimlessly, stopping by at houses of kind souls for provisions. I encountered many foreign and exotic monsters. Somehow, I managed to defeat them. One day, I finally stopped at an interesting-looking marsh. I decided to enter the marsh. After travelling for a while, I found another Qu catching frogs in a pond. He looked up and noticed me. After looking me up and down briefly, he ambled over and offered a hand.

"Hello! I am Quale! Who are you?" he asked jovially.

I told him my name. He smiled at me and asked me to come to his house to eat. I happily obliged and followed him to his house. Once there, he offered me roasted frog. I looked at it hesitantly, but he urged me to eat it. After eating it, I sank back into my chair and rubbed my stomach.

"You want some more?" he asked.

I nodded my head and he dished up another roasted frog. I attacked this frog like a wild beast. Quale then told me that Qus were gourmands who loved to eat food. My eyes lighted up at this and I eagerly asked him if I could live and train with him. He agreed and I lived in his house, learning the ways of my own clan at last. More than ten years passed. I grew as plump as Quale, and I became healthier and happier.

I love food, not only because I am a Qu, but also because I know the meaning of food. I know what it is like to go without food for days, and to feel elated whenever you get laftovers. I breathed a word to anyone about my past. I only gave Zidane a hint, telling him "Leftovers good!" He dismissed it, believing my lie that it was an old saying.

I felt someone tugging on my shoulder and turned around. Eiko was clinging to me, her eyes red and puffy, and her hair sticking out in odd places. She looked up at me with glittering eyes, and whimpered: "Quina, I don't want to die. I really don't want to. Hold me, please."

I was touched by what she said. I hugged her tightly, patting her back. "There, there, Eiko! You no cry! We survive and defeat bad guy! Then we live happily ever after!"

She sniffed and her mucus left a trail on my clothes, but I did not mind. As long as someone showed a sign of love, I never minded.

-End Quina-

Author's note: Did you enjoy Quina's story? Please R&R! Who's the final chracter? Well, you'll know soon! )


	4. Amarant

Author's Note: Okay, this is the story of the final character! Some of you were right, the last character is Amarant! It was quite easy to figure it out, though...one rule: Enjoy the fic!

Btw, the rating has been changed to PG-13 due to some disturbing content in Quina's and Amarant's story.

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Life. To those spoiled nobles in Alexandria and Treno, it's a bed of roses where you born with a silver spoon in your mouth, grow up leading an affluent lifestyle, and become a spoilt, pampered brat in the end. To me, life is a period of great suffering, where death is the only salvation. I have good reason to stick to this philosophy, believe me.

I had been just like any other man, leaving peacefully, until my mother had suddenly taken ill. On her deathbed, she told me about my hidden past. What she told me would change my life, and my personality forever.

My mother's name was Tara. She was a young, sweet and beautiful milkmaid, with flaming red hair that fell to her waist, startling sapphire eyes and rosy cheeks. She had a body like an hourglass, which would stay with her for many years to come, and men fell in love with her. She had eyes for only one man though-a man named Dylan. They were engaged to each other and were planning to marry soon. All went well, until disaster struck, in the form of an influential, high-ranking army officer named Keiran. Keiran was a middle-aged, pudgy man with a small neck and many, wobbling cheeks. Since he has so much of power, no one dared to go against him.

This officer, who was used to having everything he wanted, had lusted after my mother for a long time. He had become mad with anger when he learnt of Tara's engagement. He wanted to have anything he wished for. He decided to claim Tara for himself, by force. And all the while, the poor girl was oblivious to Keiran's evil thoughts.

One fine day, Tara, who was 22 at that time, stopped by Keiran's house to deliver milk. Keiran had instucted his butler to direct Tara to his room. Reluctantly, Tara tiptoed along the plush carpets, up the stairs, down the aisle, and knocked lightly on the magnificent oak door. Keiran was sitting on his bed, waiting for her. His lips curved upward in a smile. Tara, sensing his intentions, panicked and tried to run away, but Keiran locked the door, using magic. He then advanced towards her, and, despite her pleas and whimpers, raped her.

After satisfying his animal-like desire, Keiran threw her in one of the prison cells and announced to the world that my mother had been thrown in jail for prostituting herself, and offering her "services" to him. The public, believing him, scorned my mother and went to her cell just to spit on her. Dylan, deeply disgusted at my mother's "crime", left her for another woman.

After ten days in the cell, my mother discovered she was with child. What else did those tell-tale signs of morning sickness and lethargy point to? Her treatment by the public did not get any better; in fact, they spoke more ill of her, believing that one of her "clients" must have been the cause.

My mother had always dreamt of having her first child with Dylan after marriage; she believed that a baby was a gift from heaven, and the thing which bounds a man to a woman, and vice-versa. She had dreamt of being pampered by Dylan, and praised by the public, for being such a well-bred girl. All her dreams were ruined; the public believed she had a double life as a prostitute; all because of a monster masquerading as an army officer.

It comes as no surprise that I was born in a prison cell.

I cannot remember the first few years of my life, but according to the first few years of my life in the cell, but according to my mother, I was a scrawny, malnourished boy who was often kicked around and bullied by the guards. I used to cry for food at nights, making my poor mother flustered.

When I was about five, my mother was released from jail. People still had not forgotten her "heinous crime", so they muttered darkly whenever she was in the vicinity. The monster who had ruined my mother's life was now happily married to another woman.

My mother decided to find solace in Madain Sari. She journeyed across seas, taking me with her. The first sight of Madain Sari is my earliest memory ever. I recalled my mother running around the place in joy, and a sense of warmth enveloping me. I was too young to understand why she was so happy, but as I heard the past spewing from my mother's mouth, I realized that she was jubilant, because she was far, far away from that cold, dark cell.

My childhood, as I recalled it, was a peaceful one. The summoners treated me and my mother well, and I would always get a sweet or a pat on the head whenever I passed them. Whenever I felt lost, I would go to the Eidolon Wall to pray to the spirits. It gave me a sense of belonging and comfort. Over the years, I grew into a strong, young man.

I remembered slumping near my mother's bedside as she told me all this. As I listened to her, countless questions were popping up in my head._You mean I am illegitimate? You mean I was born in a prison cell? You mean my childhood was not a peaceful as I thought? You mean I am the son of a rapist?_

My mother reached out, and with great difficulty, managed to grasp my hand. "My son," she croaked, "You've become a fine, young man. Don't waste your life away. Go out and explore the world. It will do you some good. And don't seek revenge. Revenge is unhealthy. It only gives you temporary satisfaction. I bless you..." and with that she let go of my hand, slumped back into her bed and closed her eyes for the last time, joining God in Heaven.

I remember weeping hysterically while the summoners stood outside my house, my head bowed.

A year after her death, I decided to fulfill her wish and travel around the world. One day, I heard that Keiran had been killed in battle. I gloated, thinking that the monster had finally gotten what he deserved. I eventually settled down in Treno and found a job as a security guard. Everything was going well until that monkey Zidane messed everything up. Of course, I hated him at that time, because being falsely accused of something had ruined both my mother's life and my own. Now, I realize that Zidane is just a playful boy who goes a bit overboard at times.

After escaping from Treno, I wandered through the wild marshes and grassy plains, until I chanced upon a beautiful brunette. She was scantily dressed and wielded a gargantuan axe. She introduced herself as 19-year-old Lani. Making sure that she was not a hooker, I asked for her profession. She replied that she was a bounty hunter, serving Her Majesty Queen Brahne. She then looked at me interestedly and said, "The queen's looking for another hunter. Perhaps you'd like to join?"

Desperate for more money, I readily agreed and followed her to Alexandria. There, she introduced me to Queen Brahne. As soon as I saw her, I shrank back. She was the most revolting creature I had ever seen, which bulging eyes, and platinun yellow hair bunched at both sides of her head. She was fat enough to get stuck in a normal doorway, and her complexion left much to be desired. Looking at her pimply face made me nauseous. However, since I was broke, I stood my ground.

She peered down at me, waving that stupid fan of hers. After what seemed like a long time, she finally said, "Yes, Lani, he looks strong and young, perfect for a bounty hunter." Then she turned her attention to me and proclaimed ceremoniously, "You're hired."

She expected me to jump up and down in joy and utter praises, but I just turned and walked out of the room., and to my shnaty quarters in town.

I became a dejected person, for I felt that I was the reminder of my mother's terrible encounter. I hated myself for being the son of a coward; an infidel. I travelled with Zidane's party only because it helped me get my mind off my mother.

What if I die? I'll join my mother in Heaven. My dear, darling mother. I cannot wait for that day to come. What I do not understand is, why these people are clinging on to their life so dearly.

"Amarant, do you think we can make it?" someone asked.

That jolted me from my train of thoughts. I whirled around to find Vivi looking up at me with those glowing topaz eyes of his. Vivi was the only person I could stand in the whole of the party.

"Maybe," was all I could manage as I turned away. All of a sudden, we were thrown off our feet. Steiner's shouts were interspersed with Eiko's shrieks as the two of them collided. We got to our feet after a few seconds, and immediately figured out the situation.

Our team was entering Memoria.

-End Amarant/ End Story-


End file.
